Art in the City
Fort Kochi is an interesting place to be in as past and present collide. There are still areas where people use the old ways of fishing such as Chinese fishing nets by the beach in contrast to the large boats and cruise ships nearby. Men wear skirt-like bottoms while trotting the streets amidst high-rise buildings. There are also remnants of an old colonial past with old churches and buildings dotting some of the streets.
All these factors collide to make Kochi a vibrant city. It was a definite plus that the city was by far cleaner than the ones I have seen in parts of the north.
My restless feet took me to various parts of Fort Kochi. I saw some interesting artwork in unexpected places.
The interesting artwork reminded me of Penang and parts of Ipoh, during my visit to those Malaysian cities. These art pieces gave a different perspective to those areas of the fort. I just love wandering around and into alleys and streets, some of the best things are found in such unexpected places.
Biennale
My friend and I were fortunate enough to catch the Biennale Art Exhibit during our trip to Kochi. When I discovered that there would be an exhibit, I was in one of those 'why-not-I'm-already-here-let's-check-it-out-mood'.
The theme of the exhibit was 'Whorled Explorations', which reflected the influences of the region's colonial past and globalization on contemporary art. The artists in their specific fields in poetry, sculpture, photography, and other forms showcased their talents as they experimented.
Some of the exhibits were quite enlightening, it delved into the abstract or mundane to bring out meaning.
I assume that is a teddy bear.
The art exhibit concluded our stay in Kochi as we had to catch a night train to Trichy for our flight back to Malaysia.
At that time I couldn't believe that our month long trip to India was about to come to an end.
